By Tamlyn Canham
Police officials in America have accused passengers onboard a public train in Philadelphia of doing nothing while a woman was raped.
Instead of calling 911, the passengers allegedly pulled out their phones to possibly record the sexual assault.
Security footage shows the riders holding up their phones and pointing them in the direction of the assault. Police say no 911 calls were received.
Officials are now investigating whether any of the passengers recorded or took pictures during the incident.
A homeless man named Fiston Ngoy has been charged. He harassed the woman for 40 minutes before pulling down her pants, according to NBC News.
CCTV footage from the train shows the woman trying to fight off the man.
The sexual assault took place for eight minutes before help arrived. A train employee saw what was happening and called for help.
When police boarded the train, the sexual assault was still in progress. Officials say the attack could have been stopped sooner if the passengers called the police.
ALSO READ: Woman, 22, shares rape ordeal: ‘I was raped by 7 men’
Social media reaction
People from all over the world have reacted with shock and disgust to the news. Many slammed the train riders for standing by while the woman was attacked.
“Every one of those that witnessed this violence should be held as accountable as the vile being that raped this woman,” one Twitter user wrote.
Another user added: “You know the world is a f’d up place when you read that ppl can whip out their phones to record a sexual assault onboard a commuter train in Philadelphia but can’t use that same device to call 911. Charge them all.”
Here’s a look at what others had to say:
You know the world is a f’d up place when you read that ppl can whip out their phones to record a sexual assault on board a commuter train in Philadelphia but can’t use that same device to call 911.
Charge them all.— Vanessa Murphy (@v_murphy_media) October 19, 2021
🤦🏽♂️ What kinda society/Country do we live in where a woman can be brutally raped on a somewhat crowded public train (SEPTA -EL) in the middle of the afternoon, with multiple people recording it but no one willing to step in and do or say anything especially the🤬Men.😠 pic.twitter.com/qa6ZVr0MPO
— SldrBoy11 (@SldrBoy11) October 18, 2021
One week ago tomorrow a young woman was raped on a train in Philadelphia, Pa. Onlookers/witnesses took videos and watched as he ripped off her clothes and assaulted her. No one stepped in to help her. Welcome to America y’all.
— Stella Parton (@StellaParton) October 19, 2021
The world is broken😭
Riders watched as a woman was raped on a SEPTA train but no one called 911, police say. https://t.co/C2SbGek8SJ via @nbcnews
— Miss Aja (@brat2381) October 16, 2021
A woman is raped on a U.S. train.
People sit & watch.
Nobody tries to stop the rapist.
Nobody calls the police.
This is America where 18% of the women are rape survivors & cases are underreported.
Moral?
Onlookers are the same everywhere
The plight of women is the same everywhere https://t.co/95gfGUTaGl— Palki Sharma (@palkisu) October 19, 2021
ALSO READ: How to deal with rape and sexual offences
